J.R. says the new rights deal is great for the wrestling business.
On the day of All Elite Wrestling celebrating five years of their weekly Dynamite program, it was formally announced that the company and Warner Bros. Discovery agreed to a new multi-year rights deal. One of the details in the package is that AEW will begin streaming on HBO Max.
Jim Ross, who’s been with the company since 2019, weighed in on the news of the renewal on his Grilling J.R. podcast.
Yeah, I think so (AEW’s new TV deal is great for the wrestling business) because, you know, with the advent and the development of AEW, it gives talent an option. Everybody can’t work in WWE. Everybody can’t make a living doing just the indies. So, I think AEW’s a good alternative without question and it’s good for the talent and any time you can create an environment or a business plan that includes the enhancement of talents and you have a way to keep the talent happy which is paying ‘em, it’s a pretty good deal. Our company is unique in the sense… the travel schedule for the talent is probably as good as it’s ever been in the history of pro wrestling. So, a guy’s got a chance, if they choose to, to have a life. To have a chance to be a dad or a mom or whatever, and so it’s (a) unique time in the business without question.
Tony (Khan) did a great job of cutting that deal and a lot of talents should feel very relieved that it’s done and they can continue to earn a good living in AEW and not be traveling all the time.
AEW’s Five Year Anniversary Show did not end until 10:30 PM EST. On the Title Tuesday edition of Dynamite on 10/9, the show will start at 9 PM EST and run until 11 PM. J.R. would not be surprised if Dynamite or Collision becomes a three-hour program.
Not totally (would I be surprised if Dynamite or Collision became a three-hour show). I totally wouldn’t be just shocked. I think it’d be Dynamite; would be the first preference. So yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me a bit and it might be a good idea. Hell, I don’t know. You sure get a lot more wrestling on it and it gets more talent exposed which is not a bad thing.
The Title Tuesday episode of Dynamite is going to be one of AEW’s go-home programs that week before the WrestleDream pay-per-view on October 12th.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Grilling J.R. with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
